The present Applicant manufactures packing machines of this type in which the articles are supplied by a conveyor belt or side or an air cushion from a final production stage to a collecting or inserting station. For a rational insertion of the articles into the selling or dispatch boxes the articles are often allowed to pile up a number of times and are then separated again e.g. for counting, shaping, inspection, etc. and are then inserted in complete layers into the awaiting boxes.
It is possible in this way to pack e.g. block-shaped articles of confectionery and also technical components, provided that they have a certain material hardness and a geometrical shape preventing clogging or jamming.
However, if the articles to be packed are relatively soft or have an irregular geometrical shape considerable difficulties are encountered in forming complete layers to be taken up by the insertion head in the case of jamming of the said articles. It has hitherto been impossible to suitably form layers of several articles where a space-saving overlap of said articles has been required. Such an article overlap in the individual layers is advantageous in packs of elongated chocolate bars with irregular edges or powder-containing bags, e.g. "Ovomaltine" bags with an all-round flat edge. It is also necessary for bringing about a significant reduction in the volume of the box.
Thus, it is the problem of the present invention to so further develop an inserting station of the aforementioned type that it is possible to form layers with or without an overlap of articles having a limited or no resistance to clogging or jamming.
According to the invention this is achieved by a plurality of lifting elements following the conveying direction of the articles and passing through the preferably continuously moved belt-like conveying means which, after depositing an article, can individually and successively be moved into an upper end position by lifting means, the in each case raised lifting element forming a stop member for the following article deposited on the next lifting element.
Such an inserting station is preferably constructed in such a way that a fixed stop member cooperates with the furthest forward lifting element. It is advantageous if each of the lifting elements has a length in the conveying direction which is shorter than the extension of the articles in said direction.
According to an advantageous further development the lifting means for the lifting elements are of an electromagnetic and/or hydraulic and/or pneumatic nature and that further each lifting element for determining the depositing of an article is equipped with glass fiber optics.
It is advantageous if the lifting means for the lifting elements are in operative connection by means of a control device with the glass fibre optics of each lifting element and after occupying and raising the final lifting element the control device produces a first output signal for the predetermined operation of the inserting head and a second output signal, delayed with respect to the first output signal for returning the lifting elements to their lower end position.
According to the invention the inserting station can be used on a packing machine, which is characterized in that on either side of the belt-like conveying means for the articles in the vicinity of the lifting elements there are standing surfaces for the boxes alternately loaded in layers by the inserting head with in each case one complete layer of articles removed from the lifting elements.